Steam-turbine.



LEB.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 16, w10.

Bec. 20, E910.

2' SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H, B, LEB.

STEAM 'mmm APLIOATIOH TILED AUG. 16, 1910. wf w n L ne Q u hij gamme@ me. 20, L16.

f? SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all Awhom 'it may concern.'

HENRY B. LEE, DF HARTFORD, CNNECTICUT.

.STEAM-TURBINE.

l BLEE, a sub- `iect of Great B itain, residing-at Hartford in the county Be it knoivn'that I, HENRY and State of new and useot' Hartford Connecticut, have invented. a

' ful Improvement in? Steanrflurbiiies,` of

ltaining a high efiiciency With a ytively loiv peripheral speed of the Prior multiple-impulse peripherahbucket spiral Whirls ot the which the followiiigis a specification.

This invention relates to a steam turbine or" the class having a multiplicity of curved steam buckets on the periphery of the Wheel, and guides arranged in steam guiding chain- .bers that are fixed about the periphery of the wheel adjacent to the steam inletnozzles,

for directing the steam iii such manner that it flows through the buckets a` number of times beforelosing its vitality, and thus to ar maximum degree utilizing the effective force ot the steanivelocity and thereby obcompara Wheel.

turbines are designed to attriti highest eiiiciency when the wheels Iare running at a maximum rated speed. The prior constructions are such that if it the Wheels faster than the designed speed, or to have the Wheels run slower, or should there be a temporary variation of steam pressure, there is greatloss of` energy due to the interference with each other ofthe streams of steam as they flow out of and are returned to the buckets, unless there are fixed -uiialterable passages for the steam through the guide chambers, in which case the skin friction is Vgreat and choking ot' the passages frequently results.

. IIt is highly desirable'to have the fitictional resistance to the fioiv of steam against the Walls of the buckets in the Wheel and theualls ot the. guide chamber and guides, asloW as possible, and

also to so. direct the steam thatl the various spiral Whirls, caused inl, order to obtain. the ,multipler impulses,

'will not interfere with, break up, or distort each other, l diminish the velocity Speccaton of Letters Patent. appiica'ioi'i ined august is, i910. Y

- struct the fixedv is desired to drivel the path of the steam exhaust with- Patented iec. 2t?, third., seriai No. 577,461.

guiding chambers of a peripheral bucket turbine that the streams of steam, While properly guided to the buckets to give the desired number of impulses to the Wheel, are not required to flow in an fixed path, thereby iiexibility to the engine and providing for Wide variations of steam pressure Without waste of energy. rllhis object is attained by arranging about the bucketed periphery of the Wheel, and adjacent to the steam inlet nozzles, anumber of steam guiding chambers. In each of these chambers are several guide plates located on ythe injecting side only, that is, the side on. Which the stream of steam leaves the chamber and enters the buckets. The guides do not extend across the chamber tothe return side, that is, the side on which the steam enters chamber` when returning from the buckets during its spiral whirl through the chamber and buckets. Thisprovides a seriesof passages on the injecting side of the chamber, which direct the steam into the buckets but leaves a i'ree space from end to end of the chamber on the side into which the steanifretur'ns from the buckets. in this t'ree space the steam can automatically assume such a course as its velocity requires. In other Words, While the steam is directed to the buckets to give the requiredimpulses by the guides on the injecting side of the chamber, if the velocity is high and the Wheel is rotating rapidly, the steam can fioW out and over in the open space of the chamber with a greater spiral if its yelocity vis low and the speed of the obstructed on the return side may assum its own spiral path according to its velocity, but having assumed its path, it is directed on the injecting side by the guides into thehuckets to effect the desired action. Furthermore, the unobstructed Space on the return immediately exhaust with the spiral stream of which is still sufficient to be eftective.

ligure i oi the accompanying drawings v shows a vertical diametrical section 'of a steaml turbine'A engine which embodies this invention. Fig. 2, shows a vertical section ofthe same on a plane at right angles to Without interfering the. guiding '90 forward pitch than leo of steaiii, the velocity 'i ,that ot lfig', l. Fig. S shows on an enlarged scale a .section ot" a part ot' the rim ot the wheel. the casing. aud one oli the guide chambers. Fig. l is a view looking up atthe guide chamber and steam inlet-nozzle selen in Figi. and showing a. section ot the easingl through the nozzle fastening means. Fig'. 3 shows a section through a wheel buckety and the guide chamber on the plane ii'idicatecl by the dotted line -5` on Fig. Fic'. G' is a View looking at one' side of the guide chaniber and an adjacent steam inletnozzle. Fig chambers and nozzles.

la `the embodiment ot' the invention illust-ratcd, the wheel l is mounted on the shaft which is journaled in bearings held in boxes Ll. The casing 5, which may be any7 size andshape, but is desirably formed in two horizontally divided sections that are bolted togethei'-, is provided with boxes G that are packed in'any1 suitable manner to keep the Iexhaust Achamber 7 tight.. Openings S are made in the walls of the casing 'tor the outflow of steam from the exhaust chamber. Extending completely around the interior on one side near the periphery of the casing is a live steam passage 9. Communicatingr with this is the throttle valve l() that is operated in the usual manner through the mechanism l1 by' a common governor which is arranged iii/the box 1Q at one end of the shaft.

Around the periphery7 of the wheel are the steam buckets 13. These wheel buckets are shown as cut aty an angle in the solid stock of the periphery ot' the wheel by a milling; cutter. Ain such manner that the bottom wall l-t (Fig, 5) ot' each bucket is substantially semi-circular. but of course the buckets could be formed in any other-'well known way.

"lhere may be any number ot' steam inlet nozzles l5. ln the engine illustrated there are, t'our nozzles. 'lhese nozzles are seated upon the inner wall of the live steam passage with which they communi 'ate, and they are held in place by hollow screw plugs lt Fig'. ll. "l`he discharge ends ot' the nozzles open adjacent to the periphery of the wheel on the injecting side of the buckets. iny such manner that they project jets ot steam torwa l. practically tane'entially of the wheel. and also tangentially ot the wheel buckets.

'there are toury .steam return or `guide chambers 1T. one beinelocated with its closed cndadjacent to and in troutI ot each nozzle. ".lhcse chambers are semi-circular in cross section. as shown in Fig. 5, and their outer walls are curved .so as to extend parallel with the periphery ot' the wheel. tn one side ot each ol these chambers. and connected therewith by ribsl Vll'arc brackets 1S. rThe, brackets arr` sel against the inner wall ot' the lire steam passage in the casing' Awilli the closed ends ot the chambers bearis a plan ot one ot the guide,

'the injectingside. that is. the side ine againstv thel nozzles. The chambers are held in these locations by jam screws 1th which are toi'ced against the sides olf the chambers and are held against accidental turning by clamp nuts 21. The ends ot the `guide chambers adjacent to the nozzles are closed by plates 22. The other ends, ot' the chambers are opcnto tlib exhaustV chamber in the casing. In each chambe f are a num bei.' ot guide plates 2?. These plates are attached to the inner wall ot' the chamber on which rcturns the steam to the wheel buckets. 'l`he plates areinclimal :t'orwardly at the desired angle so as to directV the .steam into the buckets in practically the same manner as the nozzle, -and they extend out into the chamber t'rom the wall on the injectingside, less than halt of the inner diameter ot' the chamber, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. ,This provides a series ot'l guidesl on the side ot the chamber which directs the steam to the wheel buckets. which guides torni on that.. side a series of injectingl nozzles or passages. but leave the return sidc. that the side ot the chamber into which the steam returns trom the buckets. open from end to end so that as the steam returns trom the buckets to the chamber. it may take suclwa spiral course-torward as its velocity demands. and yet be directed by the guides, atter it has circulated around the chamber. to thc buckctsin a'n ellicicnt manner.

Live steam trom the passage around the 'asing tlows through each olthe nozzles into the steam buckets on the periphery ot the wheel and drives the wheel forward according, to the velocity ot' the steam. As the steam enters the buckets on one, side, andthe bottoms of the buckets are circular, the steam is circulated across the periphery ot' the wheel as it is rotated. and is returned therefrom into the chamber in a spiral direction on the side ot' the chamber which is unobstructed by guide plates. The steam then, accordingr to its velocity and degree otI expansion. moves spirally forward and around the circular inner wall ot' the chamber and passes between the several Aruido plates on the in jecting' side into the buckets` trom which it is again returned to the chamber. Vthis process continues until the ell'ectire velocity of the steam is exhausted, or the steam passes out ot the ends olf the guide, chambers into theexhaust space,\\l1ich.as is common iu enejines ot this type. may have its pressure rcduced by any ot' the usually employed means. Such steam as loses its velocity and becomes dead from any cause durinl circulation around the buckets and through the chambers passes outl ol' the open side ot the guiding` chambers into the exhaust space without intert'erinel with tht` sheets or streams ot steam which hare sullicient relocity to be ettective and pass around the loo llt,

Y Walls of the parts. As a result of this, only steam vhaving enough velocity to effect the desired action is guided against the several buckets for imparting the multiple impulses,

the ineffective steam passing out to the exhaust Without interfering with this live tloiv. As previously stated, although the live tioW is directed by the guides on the injecting side in the form oi' streams or jets, the spiral direction of the steam as'it emerges from the buckets is not immediately absolutely fixed, and according to its velocity and the speed of rotation of the wheel, on its return into the chambers may take such course as the conditions require. The arrangement. ot internal annular steam passages which is illustrated, provides means for equalizing ,the pressure at the several nozzles about the wheel, and leaves a large exhaust space aboutlsteam `substantially tangentially into the buckets, a steam guiding chamber extending over a number ot' said buckets, said chamber being semi-circular in cross section and having its outer Wall parallel with the periphery of the Wheel, and guide plates arranged to extend forwardly in the chamber on the injecting side only, whereby the said chamber is unobstructed on one side from the live steam inlet nozzle to the tinal exhaust outlet.

2. A steam turbine having a wheel with a plural number otl curved buckets arranged around its periphery, a casing inclosing the wheel, a live steam passage extending around the interior ot' the casing, nozzles communicating with said live steam passage and projecting toward the periphery olI the Wheel on one side ot the buckets, steam guiding chambers located adjacent to the nozzles, said chambers beingl semi-circular in cross section and covering several olf the buckets, and forwardly inclined guideplates Ion the injecting side only orn said chambers. a

3. In a steam turbine, the combination, with a Wheel having a plural number o-t' buckets in its periphery, a casing surrounding said Wheel, a nozzle connected with the supply of'live steam and projecting toward 'the buckets of a steam Ouidino chamber that is closed at the end adjacent to thc nozzle and open at the other end, said chamber being semi-cylindrical and provided with inclined guide plates on the interior ot its injecting side only.

4t. A steam guiding chamber for a turbine which is semi-circular in cross section and has its outer Wall extending on a circle that is concentric with the. wheel with Ywhich it. is to be used, thel intake end of said chamber being closed by an inclined plate and the exhaust end being open, said chamber being provided in its interior on the injecting side with inclined guide plates, said plates extending from the injecting side into the chamber and obstructing onlyal portion of the passage in the chamber, leaving the passage in the chamber on the return lside open from end to end.

In a steam turbine, the conibination oi a wheel. with a plura.l 1nunber otl buckets in its periphery, a casing surrounding they wheel, a live steam passage extending around the interior of the casing, nozzles seated on the inner Wall of the steam passage and communicating therewith, and steam guiding chambers fixed about the periphery ot' the wheel and covering the buckets.

(3. In a steam turbine, the combination ot a wheel with a plural number ot' buckets in its periphery, a casing surrounding` said wheel, a live steam passage extending around the interior olE the casing` nozzles seated upon the inner wall of said passage and communicating therewith. steam guiding chambers seated upon the inner u'all of said steam vpassage adjacent to the nozzles` and screws turning in the casing and against the walls o'lf said chambers for holding them in place against the. wall oi1 the steam passage.

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